


Daddy's In Charge

by Plumetta



Series: Baby makes Three [17]
Category: Hunger Games Series - All Media Types
Genre: Gen
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2014-04-03
Updated: 2014-04-03
Packaged: 2018-01-18 01:37:44
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,023
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/1410184
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Plumetta/pseuds/Plumetta
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Effie leaves Haymitch to watch their little girl.  He learns a six year old can keep you more on your toes than the Hunger Games</p>
            </blockquote>





	Daddy's In Charge

**Author's Note:**

> I do not own anything the universe belongs to Suzanne Collins

Effie went into the kitchen and Haymitch was about to open a bottle.

“I need you to hold off on that for a while.” Effie said.

“Why? I thought we agreed you wouldn’t interfere with my drinking.

“I don’t….usually. Hailey is playing in the backyard with her friend Daisy. You have to watch them.

“Watch them do what?”

“Play.”

Haymitch sighed. “They don’t know how to do it? They’re in school they should know how to play.

“Haymitch you have to make sure they don’t fight or do anything dangerous.

He glanced out the window. “What’s dangerous in our backyard?”

The geese could bite them.

“Are they going to bother the geese? Haymitch asked. “If so they deserve to get bitten. They aren’t babies.

“Haymitch….do you want to explain to Delly Cartwright why her daughter has a bird bite? She won’t let Daisy play over here again. “Baby Petra is sick and Katniss hasn’t had any sleep in two days. Peeta had to go to the bakery to get ready for a toasting. She needs a nap.

“Who told them to have children? Haymitch said. “Babies get sick and on your nerves. They deserve what they get.

“Says the father of a six year old.” Effie said. Katniss helped us plenty when Hailey was little. Look they were playing high tea a few minutes ago. Just go outside and watch them.

He rolled his eyes. “High tea? Doesn’t she ever look for frogs or play in the mud?

“She’s a girl. High tea is an appropriate game along with school, house, and fashion. They are perfect angels, just keep an eye on them.

Effie went out the front door and Haymitch went into the yard. He saw the two girls standing on the top of the jungle gym. He didn’t want to startle them so he said softly. “Hailey, Sweetheart. You know you’re not allowed to play on the jungle gym unless Mommy or Daddy are watching.

Daisy frowned and started to climb down but Hailey just turned to her father. “We’re not playing Daddy. Daisy’s balloon blew into that tree. We’re trying to reach it.

Haymitch looked up into the tree and saw the balloon out of his reach.

“Umm what if I buy Daisy another balloon? Haymitch suggested.

“My Daddy bought it for me and it was the last red one.” Daisy said. 

He sighed. “All right. I want you girls to climb off that thing and I’ll go get the ladder.

He went inside, got the ladder and brought it next to the tree. He climbed up and retrieved the balloon. The girls were applauding him. He gave Daisy the balloon and she asked him to tie it to her backpack. While he was doing that both of them were scrambling up the ladder.

“Ladies….what are you doing?

“We want to climb in the tree.” Daisy said.

“I don’t think that’s a good idea.” Haymitch said. “Why don’t you play high tea?

Hailey looked exasperated like Effie. “Daddy, we did that. We played high tea, house and Capitol Fashion.

“Could we watch Tales Before Panem? Daisy asked.

Haymitch quickly said. “No.” Hailey frowned and said.

“Daddy won’t let me see it anymore since the Hansel and Gretel episode.”

“That one was scary.” Daisy agreed. Last week they had a princess locked in a tower by a witch. There were no stairs or doors in the tower. One day a prince discovered her and wanted to rescue her. He would climb her long, long hair to give her silk for a ladder. But the witch found out and cut off all of Rapunzel’s hair.

Haymitch was horrified. “What happened next?

“The witch tricked the prince got him to climb the braid and then pushed him off blinding him and Rapunzel was abandoned in the forest to fend for herself.

He shook his head. “I am going to call Plutarch, that show is a menace.

“All the stories aren’t bad Mr. Abernathy. There was one called Sleeping Beauty where an evil witch cast a spell on the princess that she would die before her sixteenth birthday…

Haymitch held up his hands. “Enough. I won’t let you climb the tree but I’ll get the trampoline.

Hailey started jumping already excited. 

“What’s a trampoline? Daisy asked.

“It’s a bouncy bouncy. Hailey said. “My Mommy had it when she was little.

Haymitch took the trampoline out of the shed and opened it. He helped the girls get up on it and then they started to jump, first alone and then holding hands. They started to jump higher than Effie liked but he didn’t stop them, he just made them move more towards the middle.

When he heard the doorbell ring he helped both the girls jump off. He answered the door and was never so relieved to see Delly Cartwright.

“Hi Delly. The girls are inside.

“Where’s Effie? Delly asked.

“Next door with Katniss. “The baby is sick.”

“Oh, that’s too bad. You could have brought Daisy home if she was any trouble.

“No trouble. We had to retrieve a balloon, stop them from climbing a tree, discuss Tales Before Panem and play on trampoline.

Delly shook her head. “Tales Before Panem. I hate that show. Her father says it’s important that she doesn’t always hear happy ending stories but I’m not sure that show ever has a happy ending. Not a really happy one anyway.

“Mommy, Mommy. Daisy said. Hailey has a bouncy bouncy like the one at Lilly’s birthday party.

Hailey looked a little embarrassed. “It’s not that big and it’s really my Mommy’s, she lets me play on it.

“Mommy, I think it’s bigger than the one for Lilly’s party.’’ Daisy said. It has more bounce.

Haymitch stroked his daughter’s hair. Things were better in 12 since the war, people weren’t starving but Hailey was starting to notice she had a lot more things than her friends. She didn’t like to show off, she wanted to fit in.

Delly just smiled. “Well, that’s very nice that Mr. Abernathy let you play on it. Next time we’ll have Hailey over to our house. Now get your toys and get ready to go.

The girls headed inside and Haymitch asked Delly. “Did I cause a problem?”

“Of course not. It’s just……the bouncy bouncy was the talk of the first grade. If Daisy talks about Hailey having one of her own you may have twenty kids on your doorstep. 

He smiled. “Well, Effie will never leave me in charge again so….

Delly laughed. “Oh stop. It looks like Daisy had a great time. Daisy come on, we have to go home.

Daisy and Delly waved goodbye. Haymitch sat on the couch and Hailey climbed on his lap.

“Daddy that was fun. You should supervise play more often.

He ruffled her hair. “Daddy’s too old to supervise play.”

She snuggled against him. “No you’re not. Did your Daddy get balloons you lost?

“No.” He said coldly.

“Did he make you get off the jungle gym if you were too high? 

“No. Hailey, I don’t want to..

“Did he not let you watch scary things?

“Hailey. I don’t like to talk about my father.

“What was his name? Did he make a lot of rules like Susie’s father? 

Hailey I told you I didn’t want to talk about him.

“But Daddy I don’t know anything about him. What was his name?

Haymitch shook his head and said. “Hailey, go to your room.”

“What did I do?

“Hailey, go to your room right now. He snapped. You won’t like it if I have to repeat myself.

Hailey jumped off his lap and ran upstairs. Effie just came in the front door. She waited until Hailey was out of earshot and said. “Okay, what did she do?

He sighed. “She asked about my father.”

“Oh. What did you tell her?

“I said I didn’t want to talk about him and she kept asking questions. 

“Hailey always asks a million questions. You usually don’t get mad.

“When I tell her no….she needs to listen. 

“Haymitch, you never talk about…

“I don’t want to talk about it.

“Hailey’s sensitive. You have to tell her why you’re upset.

“Effie, my father never told me why he just slapped me across the room.

“Yes, and fifty years later you don’t even want to say his name. Effie said. Is that what you want for Hailey?

“I sent her to her room. I didn’t pull out a whip, or break her arm or burn her with a pipe.

“You have to tell her something. Go up and talk to her.

“Effie….I won’t let her watch monsters on tv. Do you really think I should tell her about real life ones?

Effie shrugged. “Not everything but…..something.

“Haymitch knew when he had lost a battle. All right. I’ll go talk to her but then I’m drinking.

‘Fine by me. Effie said. I’ll start dinner.

He walked upstairs and could hear his daughter crying three rooms away. She was such a little drama queen.

He knocked on the door before opening it. “Sweetheart why are you crying?

She sniffled. “You’re mad at me and I don’t know why.”

Those words hit him the gut. How many times had he tried to figure out what he did to enrage his father? The truth was just being born but…

He sat on the bed. “I’m not mad anymore Sweetheart. I was mad because you weren’t listening to me.

Hailey sat up in bed. “When wasn’t I listening?

“When I said I didn’t want to talk about my father. I know you like to talk but some things people like to keep private.

“Like the Games and the War? Hailey asked.

“Exactly.

“How could your Daddy be private? I mean…I love to talk about you.

He laughed. “You love to talk about anything.

“Yeah, but especially you and Mommy.

“My father died when I was nine years old.

Hailey nodded. “Oh, so you miss him too much like your Mommy.”

She gave him an easy out, one he was very tempted to take but instead he said.

“No Sweetheart. I don’t miss him at all. He wasn’t anything like my Mom. 

Hailey’s eyes widened in confusion.

“Sweetheart, he didn’t take care of his family and he hurt us.

“Hurt you? Do you mean hurt your feelings?

He chuckled grimly. “That too but he gave my mother a black eye. He broke my brother’s elbow. He lifted up his shirt sleeve. He gave me this scar when I dropped two eggs.

“Why?”

“He used to trade the eggs for liquor. He needed five for a bottle and I broke two.

“You trade eggs for liquor in the Hob. Hailey said.

“Yes.”

Hailey shivered. “I broke all your eggs last month when we were walking there.

“You tripped, it wasn’t on purpose. He said.

‘Did you break the eggs on purpose?

“No. My shoes were too small and I tripped over my feet.

Hailey touched the scar. “So why did he hurt you?

“He was mad because he didn’t have money to drink. Mom made him leave soon after that.

“Did they get divorced? Hailey asked.

“No. He just left and then he died. I don’t like to talk about him because…I drink like he did I don’t like to think about being like him.

“I don’t think you’re like him Daddy. You would never hurt me or Mommy.

“I try not to but…

Hailey wrapped her arms around him. “Daddy, we love you and you love us. I don’t know what was wrong with your Daddy but I don’t want to talk about him either.

He kissed her on the forehead. “Mommy’s making dinner. Come downstairs you can play in the yard until it’s ready.

“Do you want to play on the bouncy bouncy?

He smiled. “I’ll watch you jump. 

“You can make it jump higher. Your legs are longer.

He kissed her again. “Maybe….no promises.

She jumped off the bed and started pulling on his hand. “You’ll love it Daddy.


End file.
